ZPU-2

History

Experience during World War II (1939-1945) prompted the Soviet Army to develop a small man-portable anti-aircraft gun system, centred on a suitable wheeled mount and a reasonable rate of fire, to counter threats from gun low-flying aircraft and Light-skinned vehicles. The "ZPU" series was born out of a 1945 design effort that spawned a series of like-minded weapon systems led by the single-barreled ZPU-1, dual-barreled ZPU-2 and quad-barrel ZPU-4.

The first system entered service in 1949 and many operators are still using it today (2014) for combat missions.

The ZPU-2 is a twin-barreled form that combines the firepower of two 14.7mm heavy machine guns fed from a single cartridge. Machine guns have "quick change" barrels to prevent overheating and are managed by one operator with basic movements, while the entire rifle crew is usually five people.

The gun is attached to its mounting hardware, and the entire system is attached to a two-wheeled carriage assembly that allows the gun to be moved short distances by crew or driven to a new location by a moving vehicle. The dual-gun approach instantly doubled the effectiveness of the original ZPU-1 single-gun series and didn't have the complexity or ammo required for the subsequent ZPU-4 models.

These guns can fire standard armor-piercing incendiary rounds (API), similar tungsten core rounds (API-T) and instant incendiary rounds (II) as required.

The transport weight of the weapon system is approximately 2,200 lbs, and when loaded it shows a weight of 1,400 lbs. The mounting system allows an elevation range of +90 to -7 degrees, allowing the artillery to engage both land and air targets simultaneously. Due to the wheeled nature of the cart, the traverse is a full 360 degrees. The guns have a range of up to 16,400 feet (4,600 feet effective) against air targets and 26,250 feet against ground targets.

The carriage carries 2,400 rounds of 14.7mm ammunition.

The ZPU-2 artillery has served in some of the most famous conflicts of the 20th century, including the Korean War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and the Gulf War (1991). Due to its origins in the Soviet Union, the ZPU-2 was widely marketed and used by many Soviet Union and Allied nations and countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

The weapon is manufactured in China as Type 58 and in Poland as PKM-2. Local ammunition production was also carried out in Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Poland and Romania.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

2,400x14.5mm ammo

Changes